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Ripple Effect Forum Makes a Splash

The Durham Regional Police Youth in Policing kicked off the sixth annual “Ripple Effect” Youth Forum today with a rousing cheer and greetings from Chief Ewles and his leadership team.

Approximately 500 youths, aged 14 – 21, travelled from as far away as Sault Ste. Marie to take part in this inspiring day at the Embassy Church in Oshawa. Motivational speakers and interactive workshops will take place throughout the day to help inspire our youth to make a difference in the lives of those around them.

The first speaker of the day was Jeremy Dias, who founded Jer's Vision, Canada's Youth Diversity Initiative, and Day Of Pink, an international day where everyone is encouraged to wear pink to speak out against bullying, discrimination, homophobia and transphobia. “I came here today to tell you that it’s simple to make a difference,” said Jeremy. “Something as easy as picking someone first for a team, when they’re usually chosen last, might be small to you, but it might just save their life.”

On the agenda for the afternoon is motivational speaker Molly Burke, who started her campaign against bullying after she was bullied by her peers when she lost her vision at age 14 due to retinitis pigmentosa and Dwayne Morgan, a spoken word artist, who founded the “Up From the Roots” entertainment company to highlight the achievements of positive artistic contributions of African-Canadian and urban-influenced artists.

Additional topics at the event will address mental health issues and how to embrace and celebrate diversity.

Celebrate the ripple effect - one drop of water can cause a ripple, one person can make a difference and inspire change for many.